as for next year, monsanto told investors seed sales should jump. diane eastabrook has details. >> reporter: analysts say monsanto's fourth quarter earnings took a hit because farmers purchased the bulk of their corn and soybean seeds earlier this year. excluding special items, monsanto lost $.44 a share in the quarter that ended august 31, double what it lost in the same quarter last year, and bigger than analysts expected. but the company thinks the bad news ends there. monsanto forecast seed sales to increase just shy of 20% in the current fiscal year. analysts think that's a reachable target because international sales should be strong and u.s. farmers will be rebounding from last summer's drought. >> in terms of impact of the drought grains stocks are low so corn and soybeans and the other seeds that they sell are going to need to be planted in great quantities so that should also deliver growth. >> reporter: werneth thinks even if the economies here and abroad worsen next year, monsanto should still reap solid profits because in good times and